Diving figure toy



Jan. 7, 1958 M. A. SNEIDE DIVING FIGURE TOY 2 Sfieets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20. 1956 IN VEN TOR. M/L Ffi/FD 6*. 3444-70:

Jan. 7, 1958 A. SNEIDE 2,818,677

I DIVING FIGURE TOY Filed Aug. 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

44/4 Fo/Po A2 54 5/05 United States Patent DIVlN G FIGURE TOY Milford A. Sneide, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application August 20, 1956, Serial No. 605,049

Claims. (Cl. 46-116) This invention relates generally to a toy, and more particularly to an improved toy in which a toy figure of a human being can be actuated from a standing position on a miniature diving board through an arcuate path of travel into a receptacle of water to simulate the movement of a human being diving from a diving board into a body of water.

Various toys have been devised which provide a toy figure of a human being arranged to assume the various positions and movements of a person diving into a body of water. However, it has been found that in these devices, the toy figure is attached to a conveyor chain, arm or similar member, and the member is moved manually or by suitable power means to actuate the toy figure in the diving motion. Such apparatus only requires that the driving mechanism be actuated to propel the figure through its fixed path of travel. Therefore, no skill or proficiency is necessary to operate the toy, and as a result its novelty soon wears out and the toy fails to serve as a continued source of amusement.

The present invention contemplates providing an improved diving figure toy in which the gracefulness and accuracy of the dive that is made by the toy figure depends upon the proficiency of the operator of the toy. With such an arrangement, the operation of the toy becomes a test of the skill of the operator and competitive games may be played with it so that the toy is a constant source of amusement and children are not apt to lose interest in it. In addition, the toy of the present invention possesses the further advantage of being of sturdy but simple and inexpensive construction, requiring no fragile operating mechanism which may develop defects after limited use.

According to this invention the improved diving figure toy comprises a receptacle adapted to contain water and intended to simulate a swimming pool. A miniature diving board platform is mounted on the receptacle and supports a diving board formed of a strip of spring material attached at one end to the top of the platform with its opposite end extending beyond the edge of the platform in the usual manner of a diving board. A vertically disposed guide is secured to the base of the receptacle at its lower end and extends upwardly therefrom adjacent to the extending end of the diving board. A portion of the guide above the diving board is of an arcuate configuration with the are extending away from the diving board for the purpose of guiding a toy figure of a human being in a natural diving motion. The toy figure is adapted to stand on the diving board adjacent to its end and is provided with a pair of spaced loops along the front of its torso for the purpose of receiving the guide. The loops embrace the guide but are free to move relative to the guide and serve to support the figure in a standing position on the end of the diving board. With the toy figure in this poist-ion it is only necessary for the operator to move the extending and of the diving board downwardly a short distance and release it, causing the spring board 2,818,677 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 to snap upwardly and thereby propel the figure standing on it upwardly. Since the loops of the figure are embracing the guide the figure will move along the guide and the arcuate configuration of the latter directs the figure in an arcuate path of travel corresponding to the motion assumed by a human being in diving off of a board into a body of water. By regulating the snap that is imparted to the diving board, the gracefulness and accuracy of the diving motion can be controlled by the operator.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention which will become apparent from the following detailed specification setting forth an illustrative embodiment may be achieved by the particular structure depicted in and described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a diving figure toy embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus depicted in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1.

Reference is now made more specifically to the drawings and particularly to Figure 1 thereof which illustrates a diving figure toy embodying the features of the present invention and comprising a receptacle 10 for containing a quantity of water to represent a swimming pool or similar body of water.

A diving board platform 11 is supported at one corner of the receptacle 10 by legs 12 which are preferably fixed to the base of the receptacle 10 at their lower end and extend upwardly therefrom with the platform 11 being secured to their upper ends to support the platform 11 a substantial distance above the water in the receptacle 10. For the purpose of obtaining a realistic effect, a ladder 15 is mounted on the platform 11 and extends downwardly therefrom into the water as is usually provided for the purpose of providing the swimmers a means of access to the platform 11.

The diving motion is imparted to a toy figure of a human being 20 by a diving board 21 which is formed of a strip of spring material such as plastic or spring steel, the former having been found to be superior inasmuch as it is not subject to rusting. The diving board 21 is secured at one end to the top surface of the platform 11 and extends outwardly therefrom beyond the edge of the platform 11' so that a snap spring action may be imparted to it.

The desired arcuate path of travel of the toy figure 20 is obtained by providing a guide 25 which is secured at its bottom end to the base of the receptacle 10 directly beneath the extending end of the diving board 21, and

extends upwardly therefrom through an opening 26 formed in the end of the diving board 21 as clearly illustrated in Figure l. The upper portion of the guide 25' that extends above the diving board 21 is bent into 'a permanent curve or are 27 for directing the toy figure 20- in the arcuate path of travel of the diving movement. The passage of the guide 25 through the opening 26 in the diving board 21 serves as a convenient means for support ing the upper portion ofthe guide 25 without interfering with the operation of either the diving board 21 or the arc 27 of the guide 25.

The toy figure 20. is coupled to the guide 25 by means of a pair of loops 30 which are attached to the front portion of the torso of the toy figure 20 in position to receive the guide 25. In order to prepare the toy figure 20 for a diving movement, the figure is placed at the top of the arced portion 27 of the guide 25 and the latter is threaded through the loops 30 while the figure 20 is being moved downwardly into a 'standingposition on,

the diving board 21 as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. It will be noted that the toy figure is formed with its arms extending upwardly and its toes extending downwardly to assume the position that a human being takes While performing a diving movement. The engagement of the loops 3% with the curved portion 27 serves to support the toy figure 20 in the standing position upon the diving board 21.

With the toy figure 21 thus disposed in a standing position on the diving board 21 it may be propelled through the air in a diving motion to dive into the water contained in the receptacle 10. This is accomplished simply by pressing downwardly upon the extending end of the diving board 21 and then releasing it to cause its snap movement upwardly which serves to propel the toy figure 20 upwardly into the air. Since the loops 30 are in engagement with the curved portion 27 of the guide 25, the curved portion 27 will direct the toy figure into an arcuate path of travel as is normally assumed by a human being diving from a diving board into a body of water. By regulating the amount of finger pressure that is applied to the extending end of the diving board 21 the gracefulness of the dive that is assumed by the toy figure 20 can be controlled, and with practice and experience, proficiency can be attained in propelling the toy figure 20 in a graceful dive as well as in accurately regulating the distance of the dive.

In playing with the toy a competitive game may be developed by judging the gracefulness of the dive which the toy figure 20 performs when being propelled from the diving board 21 in the usual manner of judging diving contests. Accuracy contests may also be had between two or more players by placing a ring or similar object (not shown) in the water contained in the receptacle 10, with the object of the game being to propel the toy figure 20 from the diving board 21 so that it dives through the ring.

In order that the toy figure 20 assumes the proper position in traveling through its path of travel, it is preferable that it be top heavy. If the entire figure 20 is formed of the same material, the top heaviness may be achieved by filling the head with lead or other heavy material. With this distribution of weight, the head portion of the figure 20 will tend to move downwardly first in conformance with the position taken by a human being in performing a diving movement.

From the foregoing detailed description of the structure and operation of the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, it will be apparent that a new and improved diving figure toy has been provided with which a toy figure of a human being may be propelled through a diving motion, and the gracefulness and accuracy of the dive may be controlled by the operator so that the interest of the individual playing with the toy is apt to be maintained and competitive games may be played with the device.

Although the illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail for the purpose of making a full disclosure of a practical operative arrangement by means of which the invention may be practised, it is to be understood that various novel features of the invention may be incorporated in other arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the subjoined claims. 7

The principles of the invention having now been fully explained in connection with the foregoing description of the illustrative embodiment, the invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a diving figure toy; a receptacle adapted to contain a quantity of water; a platform supported above the water in said receptacle; a diving board of spring material mounted on said platform with one end extending outwardly of said platform above the water in said re ceptacle, said diving board having an opening adjacent to its extending end; a guide secured at one end to the base of said receptacle and extending upwardly therefrom through the opening in said diving board, said guide presenting an arcuately formed portion above said diving board with the arc directed away from said diving board; a toy figure of a human being adapted to be propelled from a standing position on said diving board by a snap spring movement of the extending end of said diving board; and one or more loops secured to said toy figure for receiving said guide so that said guide may be threaded through said loops while said toy figure is being lowered into a standing position on said diving board; whereby the operator of the toy may snap the extending end of said diving board in its spring movement while said toy figure is in a standing position on it with said loops embracing said guide to propel said toy figure upwardly, and the arcuate portion of said guide will direct said toy figure into an arcuate path of travel corresponding to the path of travel of a human being in a natural diving movement into the water contained in said receptacle.

2. In an amusement device, a receptacle for containing a quantity of water; a platform; a diving board of spring material mounted on said platform with one end extending outwardly of said platform; a guide extending upwardly adjacent to said diving board and presenting an arcurately formed portion above said diving board; a toy figure adapted to rest upon said diving board and to be propelled upwardly by a snap spring movement of the extending end of said diving board; and one or more loops secured to said toy figure and adapted to embrace said guide while said toy figure is on said diving board and while said toy figure is moving upwardly off of said diving board; where by the operator of the device may snap said diving board in its spring movement while said toy figure is resting on it with said loops embracing said guide to propel said toy figure upwardly, and the arcuate portion of said guide will direct said toy figure into an arcuate path of travel conforming to a diving movement into the water in said receptacle.

3. In an amusement device; a receptacle adapted to contain a quantity of water; a platform; a diving board mounted on said platform with one end extending outwardly of said platform so that its extending end may be snapped laterally in a spring movement; a guide extending upwardly adjacent to the extending end of said diving board and presenting an arcuately formed portion above said diving board; and a toy figure adapted to rest upon the extending end of said diving board and to be propelled upwardly by the snap spring movement or" the extending end of said diving board, said toy figure having openings through which said guide may be threaded so that said guide will extend through said openings when said toy figure is on said diving board; whereby the operator of the device may snap said diving board in its spring movement while said toy figure is resting on it with said guide extending through its openings to propel said toy figure upwardly, and the arcuate portion of said guide will direct said toy figure into an arcuate path of travel in a direction away from said diving board conforming to a diving movement into the water in said receptacle.

4. In an amusement device; a receptacle adapted to contain a quantity of water; a platform supported above said receptacle; a diving board mounted on said platform with one end extending outwardly of said platform above the water in said receptacle so that its extending end may be snapped laterally in a spring movement; a toy figure of a human being adapted to be, propelled upwardly from a standing position on the extending end of said diving board by the snap spring movement of the extending end of said diving board; and guide means adapted to direct said toy figure into an arcuate path of travel in a direction away from said diving board when it is propelled upwardly from said diving board; whereby said toy figure may be propelled from said diving board into a path of travel corresponding to the path of travel of a human 5 being in a natural diving movement into the water contained in said receptacle.

5. In an amusement device; a raised platform; a diving board mounted on said platform with one end extending outwardly of said platform so that its extending end may be snapped laterally in a spring movement; a toy figure adapted to rest upon the extending end of said diving board and to be propelled upwardly by snapping the extending end of said diving board in its spring movement; and guide means adapted to direct said toy figure into an arcuate path of travel in a direction away from said diving board when it is propelled upwardly from said diving board; whereby said toy figure may be propelled from said diving board into a path of travel corresponding to the path of travel of a human being in a natural diving movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,352,681 Nicols Sept. 14, 1920 1,440,454 Ganthier Jan. 2, 1923 1,523,989 Wright Jan. 20, 1925 1,525,569 Christiansen Feb. 20, 1925 1,576,515 Kinney Mar. 16, 1926 1,620,912 Okel n- Mar. 15, 1927 2,402,949 Carmichael July 2, 1949 2,713,230 Miller July 19, 1955 

